A Gentleman's Curse (Avenging Lords 4)

Deluded did not even begin to explain her thought process.

“Happily?” he mocked. “Knowing that you value your position in society over all else. You watched me board that ship a broken man when one word from you could have saved me. For five damn years, you let me wallow in confusion, let the bitterness of vengeance consume me, blacken my soul.”

“That is not love.” Claudia’s sweet voice breezed over him.

No. It was cruel.

The abominable act of a heartless harpy.

“What did you hope to achieve by telling me this?” Daresay, whatever her reason there was no logic involved. “If it was to prove that you loved me, you have done the opposite.”

The echo of footsteps racing along the stone bridge captured their attention.

Lockhart grasped Claudia’s hand. He considered bundling her into the carriage so Drake could spirit her away. For a few seconds, he stared at the thick, rolling fog, as blind as he had been for the last five years, watching, waiting.

Relief, tinged with a sliver of apprehension, took hold when Terence and Justin burst through the bank of grey cloud. His brother took one look at Selina balanced on the bridge and came to a crashing halt.

Justin, his face a rainbow of blues and purples, gasped in shock. “What the devil?”

Silence descended, as suffocating as the swirling mist clawing at their throats.

Selina looked dazed. She reached out to Terence, her shaky hand mimicking the tremble of her bottom lip. “Save me. Your brother is beside himself with rage and won’t rest until I’m lying dead at the bottom of the Thames. He blames me for what happened that night.”

“Blames you for what?” Justin sounded confused.

She ignored Justin and focused on Terence. “But I had to send Hudson away,” she said, gripping the post as another gust of wind whipped at her hair and cloak. “It was the only way we could be together.”

“Will someone tell me what is going on?” Justin persisted. “Come down from there, Selina, before you do yourself an injury.”

“Oh, Justin.” Selina feigned a sob. “Can you not see what’s happening here? Hudson wants rid of us. He’s kidnapped Alfred and won’t rest until he’s stolen every damn penny. Twice, he’s tried to push me off this bridge.”

Drake growled. He threw off his hat and lowered the collar of his greatcoat. “The woman is lying. She lured us here under some misguided notion of love. Every word from her lips is riddled with deceit.”

“Your aunt is right. They’re all heathens.” Selina choked on her fake tears. “Call the watchman, Justin. Tell him these men are trying to kill me.” She turned to Terence, bared her teeth and glared. “I should have known you’d stand there looking gormless.”

While Terence retaliated with numerous accusations, Lockhart glanced at Drake.

His friend sidled next to him and whispered, “Perhaps we should call the watchman. He patrols the bridge nightly. Anyone caught causing malicious damage risks transportation to one of His Majesty’s colonies.”

“You think we should shout vandal?” The thought of Selina serving a sentence abroad had vast appeal.

“Are you going to stand there and let him insult me?” Selina had turned her beady stare on Justin. “You said you loved me. You said once you inherited you would keep me in the luxury I deserve.” She stamped her foot. “You said all of those things. Deny it.”

Justin shuffled uncomfortably. “That was before Terence told me you’ve been stealing money from my uncle. Goddamn, at this rate, there’ll be nothing left once he passes.”

“So that’s it,” Selina complained. “You’re all so consumed with money you’re willing to turn on those you love.”

Drake bent his head and whispered, “The woman has lost all grasp of reality. I’m beginning to think an asylum might be better than the colonies. Either way, we need to get her down from that bridge.”

“Agreed.”

“Let me try,” Claudia said, having been a party to their hushed conversation. Lockhart had reservations, but before he could air them, Claudia said, “Selina, why don’t you come down. We’ll find a quiet inn and take supper, talk about this in a calm, rational manner. I’m sure we can resolve our differences.”

Despite Claudia’s charitable protestations, Lockhart would never forgive Selina. He would never speak to her again.

The prolonged and pained silence should have told him something was amiss. They were all waiting for Selina’s reply when the crazed woman drew a small pistol from the pocket of her cloak.

“Oh, we can resolve this,” she said, waving the pistol back and forth between Claudia and Terence. “The only way I can marry Hudson is if I shoot both of you.”